Page 16 of Pursued by the Dragon Alien (Zarux Dragon Brides #4)

SIXTEEN

Razion

“You’ve been busy since we docked, Krask.”

Razion could not believe what he was hearing.

Krask, his first officer and his, well, friend, or so he thought, had gone behind his back and arranged for Lilas to be disposed of. There was no other way of putting it. Krask wanted Lilas gone and was pushing Razion’s hand. “It must be done,” Krask said, full of logical conviction. “Or at least considered. Think about the harm and disruption she has—and will —cause the crew. Xelvor says he has the perfect situation for her.”

“Xelvor?” Razion kept his expression neutral. He’d play along for now, just to see how far his first officer had taken this. “Xelvor the trafficker? ”

“Yes, but he’s not like that anymore,” Krask replied. “He’s cleaned up his operation.”

The fek he had. Xelvor didn’t have a single clean bone in his many-limbed body. “Is that so? And you think the best thing I can do with Lilas is to sell her to a trafficker?”

If Krask sensed Razion’s seething fury, he didn’t show it. “You know as well as I that it’s better to do it now, before you become attached.”

Before he became attached . He was attached. He was more than attached. Lilas wasn’t just a passing female fling. She was his. His mate. He was sure of it and there was no power or force in the whole universe that would take her away from him. Razion sighed. There was no question what he had to do next, even though it would pain him to do it. “Did you already set up this meeting?”

“Yes,” Krask replied with an eagerness in his voice that made dragon fire burn in the back of Razion’s throat. “Time and place are arranged. I just need your confirmation that you’ll take it.”

“I’ll take the meeting,” he replied, barely keeping the snarl from his tone.

“Excellent.” Krask all but rubbed his hands together with glee. “You’re making the right decision. I’ll let Xelvor know.”

“Yes,” Razion said smoothly. “Let Xelvor know that I think you’ll make a great first officer for one of his ships. You may not always respect the captain of that ship, or him, for that matter, but what’s a little insubordination when it comes to trafficking? I’m sure he’ll be understanding.”

Krask’s face went blank. “What?”

Razion crossed his arms. “You arranged the sale of my female to a known trafficker without telling me, and you expect me to keep you on the crew?” He bared his teeth. “I trusted you, Krask. We fought side by side countless times. But this is a betrayal I cannot forgive.”

“You can’t be serious.” Krask’s eyes flashed. “You would choose this-this slave over the loyal first officer who stood by your side for mig -cycles? I was right.” He flung his arms wide. “You are enthralled by her. She has some power over you and you are too blind to see it.”

Razion was done with this. “If she has power over me, it’s because I love her. She is my mate and I would sooner jump out of an air lock than send her to some disgusting trafficker.” His volumn had risen, causing a few heads to turn and for Vedd to hear and hurry over.

“What’s happening?” Vedd asked urgently.

Razion didn’t shift his gaze from Krask’s. “Our former first officer has arranged to sell Lilas for me. Thoughtful, don’t you think?”

“No.” Vedd let out a guttural noise. “Krask. What were you thinking? Lilas is a member of our crew.”

Krask snarled, his tusks bared. “I was thinking of this crew . The one that I have stood by for cycles. The one that I have bled for! The one we built together , Razion.” His eyes burned with fury. “And now you’re throwing it all away for a female you barely know.”

Razion’s wings flexed. His entire body braced against the wave of anger churning beneath his skin. “For my mate ,” he corrected, his voice like steel. “And I’m not throwing anything away. You did that the moment you went behind my back.”

Krask scoffed, shaking his head. “Look at you,” he sneered. “You can’t even see what she’s doing to you. You take her side over mine? Over the crew’s? You’ve listened more to her in the past few cycles than you ever have to me.”

Razion exhaled sharply. There it was.

“This isn’t about Lilas,” Razion said. “This is about you —about your fragile pride and the fact that you can’t stand the idea that anyone else might have my ear.” His eyes narrowed. “The fact that I trust her as much as I trusted you.”

Krask’s expression twisted into something ugly. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”

“No,” Razion said coldly. “You have no idea what I’m doing. Allow me to clarify.” He turned to Vedd, his voice sharp as a blade. “Have someone remove Krask’s things from his quarters and put them in the cargo hold on the outpost.”

Vedd blinked but nodded. “Consider it done.” He turned away to speak to someone on the ship via his communicator.

Krask went rigid. “You wouldn’t.”

Razion didn’t blink. “I already have.”

“This ship was mine, too.” Krask’s breaths came heavy.

“Not anymore.” He wasn’t going to debate this point, but Razion had, uh, acquired the Darkslip in one of the early raids they’d been on together. They’d upgraded and enhanced it, but it had been Razion to take command of it. It didn’t matter how Krask saw it.

Krask’s fury boiled over. With a snarl, he shoved past them, knocking into Razion’s shoulder, but the captain didn’t move an inch. “You’ll regret this,” Krask spat.

Razion didn’t flinch. “I doubt it.”

His former first officer stormed away, heavy boots echoing against the metal floor as he disappeared into the docking bay’s shadows.

Razion exhaled slowly, unclenching his fists. The tense coil in his gut loosened, but not completely. This wasn’t just about Krask’s betrayal—this was about the crew, the stability of his ship. He had built his life on trust, on the loyalty of those around him, and now the foundation had cracked.

Vedd let out a low whistle. “Well, that was dramatic.” He tilted his head toward Razion. “You good?”

Razion rolled his shoulders, still tense. “No. But I’ll deal with the fallout later.”

Vedd gave him a long, assessing look. “Right.” He jerked a thumb toward the bay doors. “Should I have someone monitor him?”

Razion cocked his head. “Yes. Just make sure he stays away from Lilas. And the Darkslip.”

Vedd saluted lazily, then turned and spoke into his communicator again, this time to relay an order for a guard to watch Krask. Razion dragged a hand through his hair. His pulse still raced. He didn’t usually struggle to control his anger, but this time? This time had been close.

Lilas. Fek , Lilas.

She had to be told immediately. The last thing he wanted was for her to find out what had nearly happened from someone else—and worse, for her to think he had gone along with it.

A cold knot formed in his gut. Where was she? She had wandered off after speaking to Ulo. Wanted air. Space.

Razion breathed deeply and closed his eyes, reaching for that steady control that had carried him through countless difficult decisions before. And then, he listened.

Something inside him—something sharp, primal, and wrong —picked up on a whisper of unease. A drop of fear on the edge of consciousness.

Razion went cold. It wasn’t just instinct—it was something deeper, something that crackled up his spine like an unseen storm on the horizon. A sense of absence where Lilas should have been. A wrongness in the universe.

“Vedd.” His tone was deadly calm, but inside, a wildfire raged. “We need to find Lilas. Now .”

Vedd picked up on Razion’s urgency immediately. His usual smirk vanished into grim efficiency as his fingers tapped rapidly over his wrist comm. “I’ll check the central market. Cozax is at the docking bay. She might’ve seen her.”

Razion didn’t wait for a response. He was already moving. His boots pounded against the metal flooring as he cut through the outpost. His mind turned over everything at a feverish pace. Lilas had left after Ulo’s conversation, and he hadn’t worried—she’d needed time to think, and he trusted her to take care of herself.

But now? Now there was fear. And fear tightened its claws around his throat with each step that did not lead him to her.

People moved around him in sluggish, oblivious waves. A merchant adjusting inventory. A traveler checking ship schedules. None of them knew that he was on the edge of panic. His body tightened in an unfamiliar way, as if his skin was too small for his body. Focus .

Razion pushed forward, scanning faces, searching for any sign of dark violet hair, gold-flecked skin, sharp fuchsia eyes.

“Lilas.” He spoke into his comm, knowing full well she didn’t have one. Didn’t stop him from trying. “Where are you?”

Silence. His hands clenched into fists.

The space between his ribs burned with urgency, but if she wasn’t in the main markets, she could be anywhere.

He pivoted, lungs tight. If she’d wandered too close to anyone with bad intent, they would have taken her fast. Pavo Outpost was quieter than Vexir Trade Station, but that only made it more dangerous. Predators lurked in places like this. Predators like Xelvor.

Then, a ping on his comm. Vedd’s voice crackled through the line. “She’s not here,” he said, breathless from moving fast. “Checked both sides of the west market hub. No sign.” A pause. “Cozax didn’t see her leave.”

Dread coiled in his gut like a live wire. His feet barely touched the ground as he strode to the docking bay. His wings twitched with the rare urge to take flight, even in the enclosed space. Vedd was already there, scanning the area, while Cozax stood near one of the docking attendants, her arms crossed as she listened with a sharp frown.

As soon as Razion approached, Cozax turned to him. “Got a lead.”

Razion’s pulse hammered. “Where?”

The docking worker, a wiry-looking insectoid, shifted uneasily on his four legs but gestured toward one of the departure terminals. “A large ship left Pavo Outpost not long ago,” he said in a chittering tone. “Registered as a trade ship, but was clearly warship class. No identifier, but the Rokkol envoy vouched for them. A female matching the description of the one you’re looking for was with them.”

“Lilas?” Razion’s wings flared slightly. “Was she with anyone?”

The worker’s mandibles clicked. “A blue-haired female with gold-flecked skin. There was also a male who appeared to be of your species. The female in question left with them willingly.”

The words sucked the air from Razion’s chest. Willingly . It sounded like she’d found the Terians and Zaruxians they were all seeking, but Lilas wouldn’t just leave without telling him.

“Razion,” Vedd said gently. “Are you sure she didn’t hear some part of your conversation with Krask?”

He winced at the thought. “I didn’t see her there. She’d gone for a walk.” But that would make sense. If Lilas thought he was planning on getting rid of her, and Turi had somehow found her way here, of course Lilas would go with her. But she could have at least talked to him first, instead of just running.

White-hot fury cut through him like a blade. Had she believed— fek , after everything they’d shared—had she really believed he was capable of such a horrible thing?

He turned sharply on his heel, ignoring the way Vedd took an instinctive step back under the sheer force of his glare. “Find out where that ship was headed.”

The docking worker hesitated. “I can’t. We don’t track ships after they leave the outpost.”

“We’ll find her, Razion,” Cozax said. “I have the description of the ship. It’s very unusual. We’ll find it.”

Razion couldn’t respond. He barely contained the growl rumbling low in his chest.

She was gone .

Razion’s hands clenched at his sides. His wings twitched with raw, seething energy. No, she had left him. Left without a word, without warning, without trusting him the way he had trusted her. But if she thought for a single fekking moment that he would let her slip away without at least giving him an explanation as to why, then she didn’t know him at all.

And he would burn every damn system in the quadrant to find her.